Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1817 - June 8 2012
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1817 with a release
date of June 8, 2012 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. A famed German DXer is arrested
in Greece but nobody seems to know why, including Greece.
Also, medical wireless network to operate adjacent to ham
radio satellites on 13 centimeters; Malaysia says emergency
agencies should embrace amateur radio and a primer on
International lighthouse and lightship weekend. Find out
the details are on Amateur Radio NewslineT report number
1817 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RADIO LAW: FAMED GERMAN DX'ER DJ6SI ARRESTED IN GREECE
In what has to be one of the strangest international legal
issues involving a ham radio operator, famed German
DXpedition leader Baldur Drobnica, DJ6SI, has been arrested
in Greece. But in a strange turn of events he was permitted
to return to Germany if he promised that he would come back
to Greece for trial. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom trying to sort it all
out:
--
Let me start by saying that it is very hard to know what has
really taken place because most of the news sources are
foreign language ham radio blogs and other news reports that
have been electronically translated into English. Also, as
we go to air there comes a purported statement in German
from the person in the center of the controversy, DXer
Baldur Drobnika, DJ6SI. It was posted to QRZ.com by YO4PX
after being translated by DK5KF. As that is the latest
information, lets start there and then take a look at the
rest of the story as it seemed to unfold.
The statement credited to DJ6SI reads as follows:
"June 3rd, 2012, 20:46 (UTC 2)
Dear Michael,
I wasn't charged with espionage. As a reason of my arrest it
was stated that:
1. I performed radio traffic without the approval of the
Greek authorities;
2. I owned transmitting equipment which enabled the
reception of other frequencies;
To the accusation was later added an other point:
I hindered the visualization of the content of my notebook.
I would like to ask you to eliminate the information that I
was arrested for espionage, or to replace it with my
statement.
Vy 73 Baldur DJ6SI"
Now, the back story:
According to news reports, 75 year old Baldur Drobnica,
DJ6SI was on holiday on the Greek island of Kos. That's
where he was reportedly taken into custody for the crime of
espionage which was quickly reduced to operating amateur
radio equipment. This, even though both Greece and
Drobnika's home country of Germany are both signatories to
the CEPT pan-European Amateur Radio licensing agreement.
Even so, Greek news reports appear to indicate DJ6SI was
actually arrested under a 1929 Greek law covering illegal
operation of radio telegraph equipment even though the CEPT
agreement would likely superscede the older law.
According to Greek ham radio blogs the accusation of
espionage was based on a complaint that he was "producing
strange noises" with his computer. Those strange noises
turned out to be CW and RTTY. This was corroborated by many
who notice reports of his operation on Internet-based DX
spotting clusters.
Quite quickly the espionage charge appeared to disappear and
the reduced charge under the 1929 law implemented. And in a
strange turn of events, DJ6SI was permitted to return to
Germany but he was told that he must return to Greece to
stand trial on June 7th. That hearing is likely taking
place as this newscast goes to air. But as several Greek
hams have pointed out, DJ6SI would have not been permitted
to leave the country if there were any real case or even a
suspicion that he was engaged in spying activities.
And one Greek ham radio blog took the matter a lot further.
The Radio Amateur Association of Greece issued an angry
statement defending DJ6SI. It claims that the
responsibility for the entire matter should be placed on the
to the shoulders of the officer that ignored laws and
regulations, arrested DJ6SI and led him to court. They also
place blame on the prosecutor who they say was quick to
suggest his conviction based on a law passed in 1927, in
the year 2012.
The hams also point out that radio amateurs have been
complaining for years to the responsible Ministry that
public services and institutions and particularly police
have not been informed properly about ham radio. The
association says that it's the governments duty to inform
all relevant authorities about amateur radio and its
operations.
Obviously. This story is far from over.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,
in the Newsroom in Los Angeles.
--
You can read the Aegea News report in Google English at
tinyurl.com/DJ6SI-Aegea-News. An article by Greek amateurs
protesting Drobnika's arrest is at
www.radiofono.gr/node/3251 (SV5YR, DK5KF, YO4PX,
RadioInfo.gr, QRZ.com, others)
**
RESCUE RADIO: MALAYSIA SAYS EMERGENCY AGENCIES SHOULD WORK
WITH HAMS
Emergency Agencies in Malaysia should work with Radio
Amateurs. So says that nations Information Department
director-general Ibrahim Abd Rahman.
Director-general Rahman has been quoted in the Straits Times
newspaper as saying that integration between the two should
be encouraged as it helped the agencies to build good
rapport and teamwork spirit.
Rahman said that agencies like the Fire and Rescue
Department, Civil Defense, police, the Malaysian Red
Crescent Society, hospitals, the Royal Malaysian Air Force
and the Department of Civil Aviation should work together
with amateur radio operators. He notes that hams could be
the key to communicate with people in distress and,
therefore, a collaboration between government agencies and
amateur radio users should be intensified.
You can read the entire story of Malaysia's new emergency
response proposal to include ham radio in its emergency
communications system on-line at tinyurl.com/malaysian-
emcomm. (Straits Times)
**
RESTRUCTURING: NEW BANDS MADE AVAILABLE IN POLAND
Some new spectrum for hams in Poland. Pawe3 Zakrzewski,
SP7TEV, reports via the I-A-R-U Region One website that the
Regulation of the Council of Ministers from April 3rd and
published in the Journal of Laws of the Republic of Poland
on May 17th has made available several new bands. These
include 70.1 to 70.3 MHz on a secondary basis with a power
limit of 20 watts.
Also available to radio amateurs will be 2.400 to 2.450
Gigahertz without causing interference to the other services
in line with the article number 5 of the ITU Radio
Regulations. Lastly is 3.400 to 3.410 Gigahertz on a
secondary basis, with no more than 20 watts effective
radiated power.
The changes to Poland's National Table of Allocation of the
Radio Frequency Spectrum will come into effect on June 1st.
(IARU R-1)
**
RESTRUCTURING: BAND COVERAGE CHANGES IN DENMARK
The Danish regulator the ERST has announced the availability
for of 5250 to 5450 kHz and 472 to 479 kHz and an expansion
to 70 MHz to that nation's amateur radio service.
Effective this past June 1st, the pilot program at 5 MHz
ceased. It was replaced by the new permanent allocation of
5250 to 5450 kHz. This spectrum can be used by that
nation's A certificate holders at a power level of up to
1000 watts and B certificate holders at up to 100 watts out
using all modulation types. Previously issued trial
licenses are valid until their expiration date.
Additionally ERST announced an expansion of 70 MHz which
will become 69.9375 to 70.0625 MHz, 70.0875 to 70.1125 MHz
and 70.1625 to 70.5125 MHz. No changes were implemented to
the current modes and power levels for this band.
Lastly, Denmark will also open a new amateur radio band at
from 472 to 479 kHz as of January 1, 2013. (ERST)
**
RESTRUCTURING: NEW LOW FREQUENCY BAND IN MONACO
The telecommunications regulator of the Principality of
Monaco has allocated the band segment of 472 to 479 kHz to
its amateur service. This is on a secondary status basis
and limited to a maximum power of one watt effective
radiated power. (GB2RS)
**
RESTRUCTURING: SA AGREEMENT FOR HAM RADIO AT YOUTH DAY
EVENT
The South African Radio League has signed an agreement with
telecommunications regulator the Independent Communications
Authority of South Africa that will allow unlicensed persons
to operate an amateur radio station under the supervision of
a licensed radio amateur. This without the need to register
as an educational station.
The agreement comes in time for implementation for the June
16th South Africa Youth Day event. Both SARL and ICASA look
at this agreement as a further incentive to set up a
demonstration station, involve more young people in the
youth day sprint and show the average man in the street how
great amateur radio is. (SARL)
**
BREAK 1
From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the W4GR repeater serving Sumter, South Carolina.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RESTRUCTURING: MED ELECTRONICS TO OPERATE ADJACENT TO
HAMSATS 13 CM
Medical electronics will soon be operational adjacent to ham
radio in the 13 centimeter band. Amateur Radio Newsline's
Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, has more:
--
The ARRL and AMSAT are reporting on a First Report and Order
and a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released by the
FCC on May 24. In it the regulatory agency decided to
expand the Part 95 Personal Radio Service rules to allow
medical devices to operate on a secondary basis in the
spectrum from 2360 to 2400 MHz.
The new allocation came in a Report and Order on ET docket
08-59 and is specific for Medical Body Area Networks. These
provide a way for health care facilities to monitor their
patients without confining them to wired hookups.
The use of these frequencies will be on a secondary basis.
This means that Medical Body Area Networks stations will not
be allowed to cause interference to, and must accept
interference from, any primary services using the spectrum.
This includes amateur radio which operate on a terrestrial
primary basis in the 2390 to 2395 and 2395 to 2400 MHz
bands. International amateur satellite operations are
allocated between 2400 to 2450 MHz, which is adjacent to the
new medical devices shared spectrum.
For the amateur Radio newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
The assignment of this new medical service to the to the
shared 13 centimeter band was not much of a surprise to
those who have been following the communications politics
taking pace in Washington of late. (ARRL, ANS)
**
RADIO PLANNING: ARRL BOD APPROVES NEW 9CM BANDPLAN
The ARRL Board of Directors has unanimously voted to approve
a news 9 centimeter band plan. This, as presented to it by
the League's UHF and Microwave Band Plan Committee.
In its findings, the committee recognized that local
conditions or needs may necessitate deviations from a band
plan. Also that regional frequency coordinating bodies may
recommend alternatives for use in their respective regions.
Several interesting notes about the new bandplan include an
advisory that weak signal terrestrial legacy users should be
encouraged to move to 3400.3 to 3401.0 MHz, as time and
resources permit. Also that broadband segments may be used
for any combination of high-speed data, amateur television
and other high-bandwidth activities. Division into channels
and or separation of uses within these segments may be done
regionally, based on need and usage.
The new plan also notes that per I-T-U Radio Regulation
5.149 that in some regions these band segments are also used
for Radio Astronomy. As such, amateur radio use of these
frequencies should be first coordinated with the National
Science Foundation.
Earlier this year, the committee asked radio amateurs for
comments on a proposed 9 cm band plan. At that time it
explained that the purpose of these band plans is to share
information about how the amateur spectrum is being used
and to suggest compatible frequency ranges for various types
of application. (ARRL)
**
RADIO LAW: FCC DENIES CALL IDENTIFICATION CHANGE REQUEST
The FCC has again denied a rule making petition from Glen
Zook, K9STH, of Richardson, Texas. One that requested that
Section 97.119(a) of the Commission's Rules be amended to
include an exception to the station identification rule.
Accorsding to the FCC, Section 97.119(a) provides that an
amateur station must transmit its assigned call sign on its
transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and
at least every 10 minutes during a communication.
In his petition Zook asserted that the requirement that a
station transmit its assigned call sign at the end of each
communication is routinely violated by amateur operators.
The FCC says that Zook proposed to address this by adding to
Section 97.119(a) which was an exception formerly contained
in the Commission's regulations pertaining to the Amateur
Radio Service. Specifically, K9STH requested that the rule
be amended to provide that if an amateur station transmits
its call sign during its first transmission, the call sign
need not be transmitted at the end of the communications if
the total communication is less than three minutes. Zook
referred to this as the "3-minute rule."
In denying Zook's request the FCC noted that his proposal to
reinstate the "3-minute rule" was dismissed twice in the
last five years. It says that his latest petition sets
forth no new facts or changed circumstances warranting
further consideration of the proposal. As such, the FCC
concludes that the current petition is repetitive and as
such it is being dismissed. (FCC)
**
FCC NEWS: SEAN LEV NAMED NEW FCC GENERAL COUNSEL
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius
Genachowski has announced that Sean Lev, currently Deputy
General Counsel and Special Advisor to the Chairman, will
become FCC General Counsel. This after Austin Schlick
announced his decision to step down as the agency's General
Counsel, effective mid-June.
According to his bio, Lev came to the FCC from the
Department of Energy, where he served as the Acting General
Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Environment and
Nuclear Programs. Before joining the D-O-E in June 2009,
Lev was a partner at Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans &
Figel, where his practice focused on telecommunications,
administrative law, and appellate and general litigation.
(FCC)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: HAM RADIO AT THE 2012 MENSA ANNUAL
CONVENTION
The 2012 Mensa Annual Gathering and National Convention will
be held July 4th through the 8th in Reno, Nevada. During
the gathering, the on-line Mensa amateur radio special
interest group will be sponsoring the Special Events Station
N-7-M. According to Bil Munsil, K1ATV, of Mesa, Arizona,
there will be field day-type operation from the parking
structure on top of the Silver Legacy resort. There also
may be a 2 meter station and possibly an amateur fast scan
ATV station in the lobby of the Reno Ballroom. More about
the Mensa convention is on-line at www.ag.us.mensa.org.
(K1ATV)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: FOX CITIES ARC TO COMMEMORATE AIRVENTURE
2012
Jon Oldenburg. AB9AH, tells Newsline that the Fox Cities
Amateur Radio club will once again be hosting a special
event amateur radio station at the EAA Airvenute 2012. This
from July 25th to the 29th.
Station W9ZL will operate each day from 1500 to 0000 UTC
from the Airventure venue in Oshkosh Wisconsin. Stations
will be active on 7.250 and 14.250 MHz SSB. Also on 52.550
MHz FM.
For a commemorative please QSL with a large self addressed
stamped envelope to FCARC AirVenture 2011, PO Box 2346,
Appleton Wisconsin, 54912.
According to AB9AH this will be the 19th year that the Fox
Cities club will be hosting this commemorative Airventure
station event. (AB9AH)
**
HAMVENTION 2012: OFFICIAL FIGURE SAYS OVER 24000 ATTENDED
THIS YEAR
The numbers are out and they show conclusively that
attendance at the Dayton Hamvention is on the rise. Amateur
Radio Newsline's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW, has more:
--
The official attendance of Hamvention 2012 reached 24,483.
This good news was announced by 2012 Hamvention General
Chairman Mike Kalter, W8CI, at the Dayton Amateur Radio
Association meeting Friday night, June 1st.
According to Kalter, this was an increase over last year.
He attributed it in part to the excellent weather during
Hamvention weekend.
W8CI also noted that many vendors reported excellent sales
during the three days of Hamvention. Also that many
restaurants, hotels and motels also reported increased
sales. This contributing to an estimated $10 million
economic impact for the region.
For the first time this year, a $3 Dayton Attractions Tour
Shuttle ran from Hara's main entrance Friday and Saturday.
Stops included the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force,
Wright Dunbar Interpretive Center, the Dayton Aviation
Heritage National Historical Park and Carillon Park.
In his address to the club, Kalter said that Hamvention
would not be possible without the 500 plus volunteers who
manage every aspect of the event. For those not aware, the
Dayton Hamvention is the largest amateur radio gathering in
the world and one of the largest events of its type operated
entirely by volunteers.
Planning is already beginning for the 62nd Hamvention which
will be held at Hara Arena May 17, 18 and 19, 2013. We plan
to be there and hope that you will be too.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Don Wilbanks AE5DW, in
southern Mississippi.
--
And one side note. Not to be forgotten was a high altitude
balloon launch that was again part of Hamvention activities.
The two-hour flight reached an altitude over 87,000 feet and
landed in a pasture approximately eight miles southwest of
the Hara Arena launch point. Ironically, the pasture was
owned by a ham, Donald Fourman, AB8OS. (DARA)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the
United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline
with links to the world from our only official website at
www.arnewsline.org and being relayed by the volunteer
services of the following radio amateur:
(5 sec pause here)
**
THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: VHF/UHF EXPERT EUGENE ZIMMERMANN,
W3ZZ - SK
We seem to say it more and more of late, but the changing of
the guard in amateur radio continues with word of the
passing of VHF and UHF expert Eugene Zimmerman, W3ZZ.
Zimmermann, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, passed away on
Sunday, June 3rd, was likely best known in ham radio circles
as the author of the popular QST column "The World Above 50
MHz" that he wrote from 2002 to 2011. He also served on
the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee, edited the VHF
contesting column for CQ Contest magazine during its five-
year lifespan and was director of the CQ VHF Contest from
2000 through 2002.
First licensed in 1956, Zimmerman earned the coveted VUCC
award on 50, 144, 222, 432, 903 and 1296 MHz, as well as
DXCC, Worked All States and Worked All Continents on 6
meters. He also logged several national Top-10 finishes in
the ARRL November Sweepstakes as well as a second-place
North American finish in the CQ World Wide CW Contest
operating from VP2MDD. W3ZZ also placed in the Top 10
several times in the ARRL VHF QSO Parties and in the ARRL
VHF Sweepstakes.
Zimmerman was an ARRL Life member. He earned a PhD in
Microbiology from the University of Maryland in 1968. He
began his professional career at the National Institutes of
Health where he spent a year as a technician studying
respiratory viruses. This experience sparked an interest in
virology and conquering the common cold. After this, he
conducted early research at National Institutes of Health,
studying the relationship between retroviruses and cancer,
the use of the simian model for studying leukemia and the
use of interferon as an immune system modulator.
In 1976, he joined the National Institutes of Health Grants
Associate Program, which groomed promising scientists for
careers in managing N-I-H research programs. Zimmerman was
then recruited to be the Scientific Review Administrator of
the Allergy and Immunology Study Section of the
Immunological Sciences Integrated Review Group, where he
evaluated research proposals to provide funds for research
in immunology.
Eugene Zimmerman, W3ZZ, was a member of the Delmarva VHF and
Microwave Society, the Grid Pirates Contest Group, a Past
President of the Potomac Valley Radio Club and an honorary
member of the Connecticut Wireless Association.
As we go to air memorial services had not yet been
announced. At the time of his passing Gene Zimmermann,
W3ZZ, was age 71. (ARRL)
**
WORLDBEAT: 2012 OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY TRACKED ON APRS
The 2012 Olympic Torch Relay route is being tracked on the
APRS.fi web site. To see it go to http://aprs.fi/ and enter
Torch2012 in the Track Callsign field. Also information on
the Worked All Britain Follow the Torch Award is on-line at
www.worked-all-britain.co.uk. (GB2RS)
**
WORLDBEAT: SPECIAL CENTENIARY CALL FOR WIA
2012 is the Centenary of the Wireless Institute of Australia
being established in the State of Queensland. The special
Centenary callsign, VK-100-WIQ, was activated on June 1st
and will be active through July 31st by way of the W-I-A
affiliated radio clubs in Queensland. There is also a
Centenary QSL card and a Centenary award available. Details
can be found at www.wia.org.au. (WIA)
**
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: LISTEN TO HORYU-2 ON THE WWW
YO8SSQ and YO8TLC have made available a web based receiver
to enable listeners to hear the new HORYU-2 amateur radio
satellite. This when the new bird is within range of
Romania.
The WebSDR receiver is located at the Astronomical
Observatory Department of the University in Suceava. That
in grid locator KN 37 at a height of 350 meters above sea
level.
The hardware consists of two SDR receivers which are fed
into 48 kHz sound cards on an AMD Sempron 2600+ computer
running Vector Linux. The web page displays a track showing
the current position of HORYU-2. It also provides coverage
of the 3.65 to 3.710 MHz portion of the 80 band.
You can listen to the HORYU-2 and 80 meter WebSDR receivers
at tinyurl.com/sdr-sat-receiver
(HORYU-2 TEAM)
**
DX
In DX Word from the ARRL that 2012 XX9E operation from Macao
has been approved for DXCC credit. If you worked that
operation you can submit it for DXCC.
On the air, ON8ZZ, ON3JA and ON3NT will be active as MU
stroke OT9Z from Guernsey between July 16th to the 20th.
During their stay on Guernsey, they plan to activate Herm
Island on the 17th, Sark Island on the 18th and Alderny
Island on the 19th. The group will then head south to be
active from Chausey Island between July 27th and the 29th
using the call F/OT9Z from . QSL all operations via OT9Z.
OE4JHW reports that he will do a suitcase DXpedition to
Kuredu Island between September 2nd and the 4th. More
details including the QSL route will be forthcoming in the
near future.
AC8G who was planning a 6 night stay in Grenada for the CQ
WW SSB Contest, October 27th and 28th, has announced that
the airline that was to transport him has cancelled his
flight. Other dates offered were not acceptable, so he has
terminated his plans the operation.
DL9WVM, will once again be active portable A6 from Dubai
through June 30th. . His activity will be on 80 through 10
meters. QSL via Logbook of the World or via his home
callsign, direct or by the bureau.
DL2RMC is also on the air slash A6 from Abu Dhabi which
started around May 29th. He will be there for 3 weeks
depending on his job in United Arab Emerites. QSL as
directed on the air.
Lastly N0TG has announced a 2013 operation to Sint Maarten
between
March 15th to the 23rd. He states that he has the facility
arranged, as well as tickets, and all other aspects required
so you can look for N0TG, AA4VK and N1SNB to sign slant PJ
during that operation. Activity will probably be on all
bands and modes. QSL's all three callsigns will go via N0TG.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: A PRIMER ON ILLW
And finally a bit of ham radio history on International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. From down-under here's
Felix Scerri, VK4FUQ:
--
The 15th annual International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend in August has inspired many to register early with
32 countries and nearly 250 registered already.
Although this is just over half of the countries normally
attracted by the event it is slightly ahead of expectations
with ten weeks to go.
The weekend increases the public awareness of lighthouses
and lightships and their need for them to be preserved,
promotes amateur radio and fosters international goodwill.
The event was started mainly by late Mike Dalrymple GM4SUC
and the Ayr Amateur Radio Group in 1995 as the Northern
Lighthouse Activity Weekend with stations at Scottish
lighthouses. It quickly went international.
The third weekend in August coincides with the worldwide
lighthouse open day organized by the Association of
Lighthouse Keepers that sees public access to many of the
featured lighthouses.
During the weekend a group or individual sets up an amateur
station at or adjacent to a lighthouse, lightship or marine
beacon that is listed.
To register, complete a short online form, read the event
rules and have lots of fun. You will see complete statistics
on past events, reports from previous years and ILLW are on
Facebook too.
--
This year's International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
is slated for August 18th and 19th and runs 48 hours. If
you have access to a lighthouse or lightship you want to
activate, you can register for the event on-line at
www.illw.org. (WIA News)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX
Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, TWIT.TV, the
Southgate News and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all from
the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is
newsline(at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is
available at Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website
located at www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or
support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue,
Santa Clarita California, 91350
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk,
I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, saying 73 and we thank you for
listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2012. All rights
reserved.